Red Ice
by thepurplewriter333
Summary: What-if for the RTTE Season 6 episode: King of Dragons, Part 2. What if Hiccup hadn't managed to dodge Johann's knife while they were fighting in the cave? The war might have ended, but the riders' hardships are far from over as they race against time to save their dying leader.
1. Red Blade

***screams* WASN'T SEASON 6 AMAZING?! I think it's my favorite season yet! Great plots, great whump, great character development... I loved seeing Older Hiccup in Younger Hiccup's clothes, Snotlout writing a book, Ruffnut becoming a wing-maiden, Dagur marrying Mala, Viggo turning good, all the Hiccup!whump, Hiccstrid kisses… gods, DreamWorks gave us everything and more. :) IF ONLY THERE WERE MORE SEASONS!**

 **What was your guys' favorite episode? Mine was probably** _ **Darkest Night**_ **or** _ **King of Dragons, Part 2.**_ **But, AHHHHH. I cried a lot when the last episode ended... :( This was the final season… we only have HTTYD 3 left!**

 **On a side note, this isn't the only what-if I'm going to make for Season 6! Soon, I'll be releasing a what-if for** _ **Darkest Night.**_ **What if Hiccup was the one to get ambushed instead of Stoick? ALSO, I'll be putting all my other stories on hold until I finish this and the _Darkest Night_ what-if. Sorry!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy what I have so far! I'll be updating pretty frequently, but it shouldn't be longer than 3-4 chapters. :) Please enjoy, fave, follow, and review! Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Red Blade**

It wasn't fair. _And_ it was unsportsmanlike.

Hiccup glared at Krogan and Johann from across the cave.

The two of them - _adults -_ were against him. _Just_ him. They were experienced fighters; he was an experienced _dragon_ _rider._ They had been fighting in battles for years; he'd just learned how to use a sword correctly. The odds just didn't even up.

But there was no way was he turning back now. There was a dragon egg in danger and if he could keep it from Krogan and Johann just a _little_ bit longer, Toothless would be able to handle the rest once he broke through the fallen ice that now trapped Hiccup inside the cave.

The three men stared at each other for another long moment and then Krogan began to run towards him with a black expression. Johann followed quickly.

Panicking in front of two men, Hiccup readied his shield, taking in a deep breath, and squeezed. The waiting bola inside was aimed at Krogan. It flew out and tangled around the man's legs, and he fell to the ground with a grunt.

No time to spare, Hiccup returned his sword to the sheath on his back, and had only just taken the egg off the ground when-

 _SLAM!_

He was suddenly knocked over. Blinking dazedly, he found himself sprawled on the ground and watched with a groan as the egg rolled away. An angry-looking Johann once again slammed him against the ice, and Hiccup gasped.

Johann reared back his fist and started to beat at him, pounding against his face and chest almost violently. Hiccup grunted and tried to pull away, but the older man was simply too strong to fight back against; he was too powerful. Johann had more upper body strength than Hiccup had first given him credit for.

Fists pounded ruthlessly against his face, and he could almost feel the bruises beginning to come out. Yet he was unable to roll away, suddenly too weak to even move.

That's when Johann stopped. And for a moment, Hiccup almost believed he was going to cease with the fighting, but to no avail. Johann dragged him back up by his shoulders and then smacked him back against the ice again where his head thumped painfully.

He drew back his fist again and Hiccup braced himself for the next beating. But it never came. Instead, Johann suddenly revealed a knife from his hand and started to raise it.

A dazed Hiccup looked up, and gasped.

It was almost like what happened next was in slow motion. Hiccup saw the knife coming down towards him, but his limbs refused to move. The ice was cool against his skin as he leaned back, but he couldn't seem to think about getting out of the way as the knife was plunged. He scooted away slowly- as fast as he could in his trance-like state-, but the weapon still refused to stop.

It was interesting, Hiccup mused as the sharp edge of the blade brushed against his abdomen and cut through the shirt cloth, that he didn't even feel anything. It was like it hadn't touched him in the first place, though he'd seen that it had.

Using that moment, Hiccup balled up his fist and punched out. He landed a solid hit on the side of Johann's face and, while the man was stunned, he kicked him. Johann went flying back, tumbling across the ice. Hiccup was surprised he'd actually managed to beat him, however briefly.

He stumbled up from the ground, holding his aching stomach as he limped towards the egg. He had to get there. He had to. It was his responsibility.

He was nearing the egg, too, when suddenly something painful flared up inside of him and his knees buckled; he fell to the floor.

Hiccup slowly took his hand away from his tunic, realizing that something was very wrong. He held it up to where he could see and sucked in a breath.

It was stained red.

And when he looked at the ground below him, drops of red were also splattered across the white ice.

Coming to his senses, he looked up and saw Krogan coming his way. Gasping, he got to his feet and stood protectively in front of the egg. "No! Don't you touch it!"

"I'm not much for taking orders, Hiccup," Krogan sneered, twirling the bola around in his hand. He aimed it, preparing to throw and knock the egg away from Hiccup, but stopped when a roar came from outside the cave.

Hiccup flooded with relief. He knew exactly what kind of roar that was, and which dragon it belonged to. " _Toothless!"_

The sound of crashing ice filled the cave as the Night Fury's plasma blast cleared the last of the debris. He bounded into view, roaring at Krogan and Johann.

"Stay back, dragon," Krogan growled. "Or else I'll kill you with only a flick of my hand."

Toothless snarled back.

While this was going on, Hiccup bent over and retrieved the dragon egg, moving over to his dragon with his eyes still kept on his enemies. "I don't want to hurt you, Krogan," he said. "Or you, Johann. Please, just let us-"

"Get them already, Krogan!" Johann yelled, rubbing his jaw.

Krogan grinned and didn't hesitate in the slightest to throw the bola at Toothless. "Bud, look out!" Hiccup called out in fear, waving his dragon over to safety. Toothless ducked before the flying weapon could hit him and pranced over to Hiccup's side.

Relieved, Hiccup mounted his dragon, egg in hand, and leaned forward, groaning slightly when his throbbing stomach protested. "What do you say we get out of here and leave this two behind, bud?" he asked.

Toothless snorted in agreement, preparing to take off.

"You can't escape it, Hiccup," Johann yelled, waving his knife around. "This war will go on for years, and you can't stop it!" His eyes narrowed. "And when the time finally comes, I will _kill_ you, Hiccup Haddock! I will kill you!"

Hiccup bit his lip. He didn't want to leave Johann and Krogan behind in the cave, unguarded and on the loose, but what other choice did he have? He couldn't just _kill_ them.

As if in response, a faint roar echoed from below the cliff walls. Toothless growled, shaking his head like something was interfering with his senses. "Woah, take it easy, bud," Hiccup said worriedly. He looked around. What was going on?

The ice walls around him trembled, and the sound got louder. A blast of ice spewed from over the side of the cave, and Johann paled. "No. It can't be… not yet…"

A roar interrupted whatever he was going to say next, and another explosion of ice blasted from over the cliff. Whatever dragon was down there had been disturbed by all the noise and clearly wasn't happy about it. Johann and Krogan anxiously ducked for cover against the upcoming blizzard and Hiccup pressed himself against Toothless's back as snow erupted all around them.

Ten long seconds passed, the roaring of ice nearly deafening until it finally died down into a slight hum. Hiccup peeked open his eyes, hoping it was over, and brushed the snow off of his shoulders, as well as Toothless. Then he looked up.

He gasped.

Krogan and Johann were frozen in place, encased in a thick sheet of ice.

The cave rumbled again, and Hiccup swallowed. There was no time to dwell on that any longer. "Let's get out of here, bud," he said as he stuffed the egg into his saddlebag. "The others might need our help."

Toothless grunted, and took off.

* * *

The riders yelled out joyfully as the last of the dragons flew away, a Singetail happily spraying fire around a grinning Astrid as it left the battle scene. All the dragons were free now.

Astrid grinned, feeling both relieved and victorious that they had won the battle. They'd stopped Johann and Krogan and their Dragon Flyers, and now no more Hunters would ever roam the archipelago again.

"Woo-hoo!" Tuff cheered, waving to the departing dragons as they flew off. "Who defeated the Hunters? We did. Who made the biggest explosions while doing it? _I_ did!"

Astrid laughed, feeling a sense of peace fill her. Everything was the way it should be. No dragons would be in danger again. The Hunter ships were either blown up or had already surrendered, and she knew they wouldn't be hurting anyone else for a long, long time.

But still, something nagged at her mind. Something that felt… _wrong._ But everything had been taken care of, right? The Hunters were defeated, the dragons freed, Johann and Krogan left with no more power… but… but...

Suddenly, she gasped. "Wait. Guys. Where's Hiccup?"

The riders silenced.

"He's not here?" Fishlegs asked.

Astrid shook her head, a shadow crossing her expression. "We need to find him. If he's not here yet but we've already defeated the Flyers, then..."

The riders didn't need any more prompting. In a mute agreement, they turned their dragons around and started flying towards Berserker Island, all wondering the same thing...

Where was Hiccup?

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless maneuvered through falling pieces of ice and rocks through the narrow tunnel ways, both wondering if they'd ever get out until Hiccup spotted a bright light that shone from the other side.

He smiled, relieved. "Thank Thor. There it is, bud. Our way out. We made it. We made and we… we- _aghhh…"_

He gripped his stomach as a red-hot fire burned inside, suddenly feeling woozy from flying and his knife wound combined. His face ached from the beating he'd succumbed to earlier, and he faintly wondered if it would bruise as the back of his head began to throb.

Almost as if the realization of the pain in his face had sent out a signal to the rest of his body, other bits of him began to let him know they'd been hurt, too. Examining the back of his left hand, he saw his knuckles were swelling visibly and turning a deep shade of blue.

There was also something painful going on under his tunic. His stomach burned and his shirt felt wet. He looked down to get a good look at his right side, where the pain ached worst.

He drew a sharp breath when he saw all the blood. Then he remembered Toothless. But thankfully, his dragon was too focused on escaping the crumbling ice cave to notice what was going on with his rider.

Hiccup pushed down gingerly with his fingers where the blood was oozing thickest. He winced. There it was. A slit, more than an inch wide, where the flesh gave beneath his touch. Strange. He didn't even remember Johann cutting that deep.

Stifling a groan, Hiccup shook his head. He wouldn't worry about it right now. There was a battle to win, and friends to help. No time to be wasted in feeling sorry for himself.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached the end of the tunnel. Once they were outside, Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief. At least they weren't in danger of collapsing tunnels anymore. "Alright, bud," he said. "We don't know _what_ to expect, so let's be careful. Okay, drop down here… we need to formulate a plan..."

Toothless bobbed his head, diving to where Hiccup was pointing at. He landed with a gentle thud, but that was all it took for the ache in Hiccup's side to double. Being jolted about in the saddle made it so that the pain began to wash through his middle in great waves, pulsing in his stomach and burning like dragon fire.

He panted heavily, barely aware of lowering himself from Toothless until he realized he had stumbled several feet away. The world was a hot blaze of pain around him, tinted with red and spots of blackness.

He knew he needed to help the other riders, but where were they? Was the battle already over? He didn't see anything going on.

"Hiccup!"

Silhouettes of dragons floated before him in the sky and he could faintly make out the form of Astrid atop the lead dragon. The others were too blurry to make out.

"Hey, Hiccup, are you alright?"

Hiccup nodded, not trusting himself to speak, but he didn't remove his hands from his stomach. The pain was getting worse, not better. It wasn't fading away like he first thought it would. Something was seriously wrong.

The riders landed in front of him and Astrid instantly dismounted to race over. She wrapped her arms around Hiccup, shoulders trembling with relief. "Thor, I didn't know what happened to you. You hadn't come back, and.. And I.. Hiccup? Hey, Hiccup, what's wrong?"

Hiccup winced, trying to block out his discomfort. He could barely catch his breath against the stabbing pain in his stomach.

Astrid's arms fell to her sides and she stepped back to look him over. A hand flew to her mouth when she glanced at his middle, where the shirt was stained red. "Hiccup. what… what happened to you?"

Hiccup looked down at his side, confused. He looked through the cut cloth to inspect any damage that had been done and saw that the wound was bigger than he'd remembered. It was angrier, all swollen around the edges. Not sure of what else to do, Hiccup only shrugged. "Johann had a knife."

"You were... stabbed!" Astrid stared at him in disbelief. "Hiccup. Gods. We... are you… _gods…_ we need to get you to a healer!"

The other riders exchanged glances, equally horrified.

Hiccup rubbed his temple. "Astrid, I'm fine. I just... I need to sit…"

His mind decided that enough was enough and he lost whatever pallor he had left. His legs buckled from beneath him, and he felt himself tumbling to the ground but couldn't prevent the descent. The next thing he was vaguely aware of was people calling his name and of someone holding him closely, but nothing really seemed to matter very much. All of a sudden, he felt tired and closed his eyes.

"Hiccup?" That was Astrid's voice, he recognized. But why did she sound so worried? Was someone hurt? "Hiccup, stay with me. Stay right here. Open your eyes... look at me..."

Hiccup struggled to obey her, but his eyelids felt so heavy.

"Just hold on," Astrid pleaded, desperation filling her voice. "Everything will be fine. I'm right here, and I won't go anywhere... just stay with me a little longer… we're going to get you help..."

In the background, Hiccup could hear the voices of Snotlout, Fishlegs, the twins and Heather. They all sounded concerned and he wished he could see them. But it was too dark now; everything was black and the pain was growing again. Astrid continued to talk to him, but he couldn't make out the words. Nothing seemed to exist except this unbearable pain.

His breathing became rapid and shallow, and with one last moan, Hiccup parted with his consciousness and started to slip into an uneasy slumber.

The last thing he could think was that he had done it. He'd stopped it all.

He just hadn't expected to give his life in the process.

* * *

 **I'll just leave this here. *skips away***


	2. Red Sky

**Thank you SO MUCH for all the reviews, faves, and follows! I didn't think this story would be much of a big hit. It means more to me than you guys know!**

 **Apologies if this chapter was short or rushed! But don't worry, the next update will PICK UP IN PACE! I have big plans for this story...**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Red Sky**

It was like watching everything while being struck frozen. Involved and yet detached, Astrid saw the blood spreading from Hiccup's middle and watched as bright crimson drops began to color the brown fabric and then flow freely, soaking into his shirt.

In horror, she watched as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and his knees began to bend. She knew what was about to happen next. Suddenly torn out of her immobility, Astrid raced forward and caught Hiccup just before he hit the ground.

He slumped limply into her arms, his head resting on her lap in a show that he was clearly unconscious. He barely moved after that. "Hiccup?" Astrid yelled, and was horrified when he didn't respond. "Hiccup, stay with me. Stay right here. Open your eyes... look at me..."

Hiccup only moaned.

"Just hold on," she pleaded. "Everything will be fine. I'm right here, and I won't go anywhere... just stay with me a little longer… we're going to get you help… Hiccup… _Hiccup?_ "

Hiccup had stopped moving.

"No… no, no, no, don't you die on me! Not now! Not after all this!" She looked up. "We need a healer over here! Hurry!"

The riders started to panic, and Toothless went berserk. Snotlout and Fishlegs had to both keep him under control. And then, green eyes blazing with worry, Heather mounted Windshear and immediately took off, yelling, "Have him hang on for a little longer! I'm bringing the healer!"

Astrid sucked in a breath, nodding to herself. She had to stay calm- for Hiccup. She had to get him to hang on until the healer got there. Shaking away her thoughts, she grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking him. "Please wake up… please wake up… _please!_ I need you, Hiccup… we all do."

For an awful moment, nothing seemed to happen. Hiccup's chest barely continued to rise and fall, the blood on his shirt still blossoming without restraint.

And then in a startling second, he inhaled like he'd never breathed air before, eyes snapping open as he coughed loudly. Drawing a deep, shuddering breath while looking up at Astrid, he gasped, "What… happened?"

Astrid nearly collapsed in relief. "You were stabbed, you big idiot," she said, swallowing. "Only you, Hiccup. Only you."

"Sorry... for scaring you." His face scrunched up in obvious pain. "I thought… that I-I..." He trailed off, suddenly coughing.

"Hiccup?" Astrid whispered.

A moment later, Hiccup regained his breath. "Thought I could beat them," he said hoarsely. "But I... didn't... know about the knife. Two against one. Not fair. Took me... by surprise." His breath was becoming more uneven, and he cringed. "Did you... get them, Astrid? Are the dragons... safe?"

"We got them," Astrid assured, fighting to keep calm while using her hands to try to staunch the bleeding. There was so much blood. His fingertips were cold to the touch and his lips were turning blue.

"Knew you would." His breathing was getting shallower. "You're a good fighter, Astrid. One of the best... I've ever known. Could always… count on you..."

He closed his eyes and Astrid felt her self-control shatter. What would she do without Hiccup if he… _died_? They had planned a future out. A home. A family. How could Johann take that away from them with a simple flick of his wrist?

"Just lie still, Hiccup, and everything will be fine. Just fine. We'll get you to a healer and you'll be back on your feet in no time." Astrid kept repeating this over and over again to both him and herself as she checked his wound. She realized that in the time Hiccup had collapsed and fell unconscious, it had gotten larger and was bleeding heavier. "Don't worry. It's just a scratch," she said, trying not to let her voice shake too much. Already her hands were coated in blood. "Nothing's going to happen to you. You're going to be alright."

The ghost of a smile flickered across Hiccup's face. "Hurts some... but nothing to be concerned about. Don't know... why everyone's so worried. Always so worried." His leaf green eyes examined her closely and he grew serious again. "Astrid," he said, his voice so faint Astrid barely heard the words. "Please...tell my father to get well again. Needs to get well."

"Tell him yourself," Astrid returned, her hands trembling. "We're all going home. We just need to have the healer check you out first is all. Then you can see him." Her eyes stung with tears. "He'll be so happy to see you, Hiccup."

Hiccup stared up at her again silently. "Astrid. Need to listen..."

"W-what? Hiccup-"

"Toothless. Egg... in saddlebag. Get... to safety." His eyes began to flutter shut. "Now… don't worry about me... I'm fine." He smiled crookedly. "I'm always fine. Always... always fine." His eyelids drooped, and unable to hold out any longer, Hiccup slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said fearfully, terrified when he didn't answer. "Hiccup!" She fumbled for a grip on his wrist to check for a pulse, though her hand was shaking so badly she wasn't sure she'd feel one if she tried.

But there it was. Slow, erratic, and quickly fading, but it was still there.

One thing was clear: Hiccup needed help. Now. She just hoped the healer on Berserker Island was good enough to offer it.

* * *

"He's going to need some clotting for all that blood- immediately!"

"What? Why?"

"He's going to bleed to death otherwise… Heather, quick, hand me a clean rag and get me some water… we don't want an infection to start. Come on, now!"

Hiccup was confused with all the voices shouting in his ears. What were they talking about? Who was going to bleed to death? He inwardly gasped to himself, hoping it wasn't Astrid or the other riders. Were one of them injured in the battle?

Something suddenly occurred to him. _Why can't I see?_ he thought, desperately wanting to check his friends to make sure they were alright. But, he was still trapped in this eternity of darkness, all alone.

Something cold and wet splashed onto his stomach and he recoiled from the sting. What _was_ that?

"Alright, put the rag down… steady… yes, right there, where the injury is."

A dull ache throbbed in his stomach as something seemed to press down on it. He winced, wishing it would go away. When it didn't, he grew uncomfortable and pulled back.

"Hold him down, he's fighting!"

 _I'm not fighting,_ he thought irritably. _I just want to be left alone._

"Keep him steady now. Keep the rag on… yes… alright, now let me see." The cold presence was removed from Hiccup's middle, and then there was a pause. "Well, now. I see where the complications are coming from..."

"What is it?" That was Astrid. He was confused about why she sounded so concerned.

"He's severed a blood vessel. I don't think it's too serious, but… we need to act immediately if we want him to get better."

Suddenly, their voices started to blend together, and Hiccup grew confused. What was happening? His heart thudded loudly in his ears and he found himself struggling to breathe. Waves of nausea swept through him and he stiffened.

"No… he's going into shock. Heather, hurry with another rag!"

Panicked voices. Someone shook him and he vaguely heard Astrid crying. But that didn't make sense. Astrid never cried, even under the darkest of circumstances. Something was very wrong... he just couldn't think what it was.

"Stay w-th... us…"

"Keep fighting…"

"No… no…"

"C...n't leave us…"

"HICCUP!"

* * *

Astrid paced from outside the healer's hut, unaware of the other riders' presence around her with her mind set solely on Hiccup. Her thoughts were screaming at her to do something. Anything. But that was just the problem... she couldn't.

Neither axe nor fighting spirit could help her now. After all her years with these kinds of things, _watching_ these kinds of things, she suddenly found herself stuck. She couldn't save Hiccup, no matter what she did.

It was a whole other feeling of helplessness altogether.

The door to the hut opened and she swerved around, blue eyes shining with both exhaustion and fear. "How is he?" she demanded the healer, Gordon, who was standing expressionlessly from the doorway.

He hesitated, wrinkles creasing his brow, and in a deep voice replied, "I don't know how long he can last. He's clinging to life, but barely… there's just one thread left. I don't know what will happen if that breaks."

Astrid inhaled, tears stinging at her eyes.

Gordon continued. "In a few hours, we'll know if he's going to make it."

"Make it?" Astrid tensed up, fists clenched at her sides. "But he's Hiccup. He always makes it. He'll always cling to life… no matter what… he won't give up!"

Gordon only stared at her sadly for a moment and turned to go back inside.

Astrid looked around at the other riders along with Toothless, all their faces worn from exhaustion and worry from the last few hours. Even the twins couldn't find a way to joke about Hiccup's predicament.

"Guys… what will we do if Hiccup, you know…" Snotlout looked uncomfortable.

"Don't think like that," Astrid shot back. "Like I said before, it's _Hiccup._ He'll make it."

Toothless moaned and laid down on the ground. Astrid turned her head to look at him, blinking before suddenly remembering what Hiccup had said earlier.

 _"Toothless. Egg... saddlebag. Get...to safety."_

"Toothless, come here," she said slowly, waving him over. The dragon looked confused for a moment but soon got to his feet and dragged himself over. Astrid walked to his left side, where Hiccup's saddlebag was, and intrigued, she opened the pouch.

It was empty.

Taken aback, Astrid shook her head. "Toothless, was there an egg in here before?" she asked. Toothless snorted his agreement, and Astrid felt herself pale. "Oh my gods. It's missing now. The King of Dragon's egg is… missing."

Alarmed, the other riders looked up. "What do you mean, it's missing?" Snotlout demanded. "Hiccup risked his life to get that thing! And now because of it, he might…" He hesitated. "He might…"

"We need to get back whatever that egg was," Fishlegs continued. "It must still be in the cave, where it fell out of his saddlebag." His expression turned sad. "Hiccup would've wanted us to rescue it."

"Stop talking about him like he's already dead!" Astrid yelled. The riders silenced, and furious, she went on. "Because he's _not_ dead. And he won't be anytime soon. He's still fighting hard- I can feel it. And… and you can believe there's no hope left if you want to. You can believe that he'll die within the hour if that's what you really think. Thor, you can even believe he's already dead if it truly helps," she said, laughing dryly before turning serious again. "But I, for one, am _not_ giving up on him. Ever. Just like he wouldn't give up on any us… just like how he hasn't given up on his father… just like how he hasn't given up on himself! Just _believe_ in him. That's all I'd expect from his closest friends."

A pause, and then: "Well… I'm not giving up on him either," Ruffnut agreed, folding her arms. "Hiccup's had closer brushes with death than this before. I wouldn't put it past him to be back on his feet tomorrow, flying home to Berk to see how the Chief is."

"Me too," Fishlegs said, nodding. "Hiccup's… well… sometimes a miracle in disguise. He always makes it."

The rest of the riders chorused in agreement.

Astrid was satisfied. "Alright. Now, once we know Hiccup's better, we go and get that egg. Then we take it somewhere safe. Somewhere where _Hiccup_ tells us to. Agreed?"

The others nodded.

That settled, Astrid tipped her chin up and looked at the fading sky, its stormy clouds darkening as the sun slowly settled in a flourish of ribbon-like fire, revealing a scarlet sea above her. She closed her eyes.

The sky was bleeding... and so was Hiccup.

* * *

 **Note: Sorry if some of the medical knowledge in here was not known in Viking times. I don't know when HTTYD is set and therefore cannot check my facts. :) But, for the sake of the story, I'll just pretend they knew what they were talking about.**

 **INCREDIBLE thanks to reviewers: animalsarepeopletoo, Grizzly98, katurdi, Fantasygirl1349, Mary (Guest), Master-of-httyd-fics-542, Ignite the Stars, Guest, SweetWritingIsMyLife, Guest #2, DianaG-J, DaisytheDoodleDog, TheyCallMeYourCloverness, Astrid E Lokison, Draconic king, The Dreaming Dragon, The Wizard Rider, GriffTalon, Antox, and Scribblefoxx!**


	3. Red Flames

**I'm so sorry for the wait - I was at a Church retreat last weekend and then struggled to catch up on school work once I came back. Then I was a little busy binge-watching Supernatural and** _ **I may have gotten a little addicted to it**_ **because it is, hands down, FLIPPING AMAZING. I now have another character to whump! *cracks knuckles***

 **Anyways, thank you, guys, for all the feedback and support last chapter! YOU ARE ALL SO AMAZING! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please tell me what you think!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Red Flames**

Fire. He was on fire.

Hiccup struggled to inhale with each breath, fighting off the flames that twisted and burned inside of him.

He'd never experienced such a pain before. He never thought there _was_ such a pain before. It was all something entirely new, but already he knew he didn't like it.

"Hiccup? Hiccup, can you hear me?" someone called out, the voice cutting through his pain.

"Hold him down, he's thrashing!"

Arms gripped his shoulders even when he tried to pull away and he panted heavily, feeling trapped. He finally kicked out when he couldn't stand it any longer, and his foot made contact with a hard object in front of him. Someone yelled out. "Ow! Hey, watch it!"

Hiccup's eyes flew open.

Groaning, he looked up and saw that it wasn't an object he'd kicked. It was a person. And that person was Snotlout, who was rubbing his stomach while looking unamused. "Hey! He kicked me, guys! He _kicked_ me!"

"Wait, Hiccup?"

" _Yes!_ Who else could kick so hard? It's just like that time he punched me in the mouth… I was _unprepared!"_

"Hiccup?"

Astrid's face hovered over Hiccup's, and her eyes lit up when she saw he was conscious.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup groaned as she threw her arms around him, unable to pull away with the pain so bad. Astrid smiled apologetically a moment later, drawing her arms back and standing up again. "Sorry, it's just… oh, thank Thor you're alright."

"Not so sure Thor has anything to do with it, but, uh, I-." He coughed weakly. "Yeah, it's good to be… awake." Swallowing, he looked around with a puzzled expression. He couldn't remember anything that had happened leading up to being unconscious. All he knew was that one moment he was looking over at his friends, the next he was waking up here.

"Out of the way, let _me_ check him out. I'm the professional here." That was a new voice - one he didn't recognize. Astrid disappeared from his line of sight and another man bent over him. "Now, Hiccup, don't try and move just yet," he warned. "I don't know how much damage the blade did to your stomach."

"Blade?" Hiccup asked hoarsely. "What blade? And who are you?"

The man raised his brow. "I'm Gordon, the healer here. And you, young man, were stabbed. Don't you remember?"

It was still blurry, but Hiccup could make out some memories underneath his confusion. He'd been bleeding in the ice cave, he'd remembered, and he'd watched as it dripped onto the snow beneath his feet and spread into a small puddle of red.

"Can you move your legs?" Gordon asked, breaking his thoughts.

Hiccup furrowed his brow and tried shifting both legs. A stab of pain from his stomach, but his limbs still moved. He nodded.

"Good, good. Hiccup, how much pain would you say you're in…?"

"I'm _fine,"_ Hiccup insisted. He struggled to lift his head from the pillow behind him but was quickly stopped by Astrid.

"Take it easy, Hiccup," she scolded. "You know that you almost died!"

"I… what?" He didn't remember _that_ part. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

Hiccup closed his eyes, trying to resurface the last of his last memories. "I-I saw you and the others riders, and then I... I felt this pain in my stomach. This sharp pain... white-hot, you know? You started running at me and I didn't know what was going on, and then… and then..." He waited a moment, before shaking his head. "No. That's about it."

Astrid looked away, nodding. "Yeah, Johann... that-that _traitor_ … stabbed you. You lost a lot of blood, Hiccup. You severed a blood vessel, even. Almost died during your procedure. Luckily, Gordon here," she gestured to the healer, "was able to fix you up. At least for now. You've been out of it for about a day now, but, Hiccup-" She looked at him straight in the eye. "You can't leave this bed until we know for _sure_ you're going to be okay… these kind of injuries are tricky, you know..."

"Wait, Astrid." Hiccup blinked, something nagging at the back of his head. "There was… a …an..." He closed his eyes, trying to figure out what was so concerning. With a burst of energy, it suddenly came to him. "An egg!" he recalled. That was it. "I put it in the back of Toothless's saddle bag and… hey, did you find it?"

Astrid had suddenly gone stiff, looking over at the other riders to avoid meeting his eye. "Hiccup, um, about that…"

His smile faded. "What?"

"We… the egg… well, it-it's… _gone._ "

"Gone?" Hiccup sat up straighter in bed. "What do you mean-"

"Woah, Hiccup, slow down," Astrid chided, pushing him back down. "You just woke up, all right? We don't know where it is, or where it could've fallen out, so don't worry about it. It's only an egg, and I don't care how important you think it is - your life is a lot more valuable. We have _time,_ okay?"

Hiccup looked at her impatiently, his thoughts swirling. "No, we don't. We have to find it, Astrid, you don't understand… what if Johann or Krogan somehow got it? I know that there was this dragon-thing that somehow froze them, but what if one of them broke free? What if they already found it? What if-"

"Then they found it," Astrid said bluntly, much to his surprise. "But there's nothing we can do about it right now. What we _can_ do is take care of you. Just go back to sleep; get your strength back. The other riders and I will look for the egg in the meantime." She put a hand on his shoulder when he tried to get up again, her worry turning to anger. "Stop it, Hiccup. Stop!"

Her eyes dropped.

"You almost _died_ out there. Really _died._ I mean, what would I have... if you… if you..." She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Can't you just take care of yourself for once? Just for a little bit?"

An icy silence filled the room.

"I'm sorry. No." Hiccup rubbed his eyes, pushing himself to sit up in bed. He muffled a painful gasp, closing his eyes. "Now help me get onto Toothless. We need to find that egg." He opened his eyes again, looking at Astrid with something she had never quite seen before - desperation. "Please, Astrid. I'm fine, and I won't strain myself. I just need to do this."

"Wait just a minute. There's no possible way you'd be able to make the trip," Gordon scoffed, crossing his arms. "You'd be half-dead by the time you got there. Wouldn't be much use to your friends anyway."

"Yes, I would," Hiccup said confidently. "I've been through worse before and have still been good on my feet. The day I got this," he lifted up his prosthetic leg, "I walked straight out of bed as soon as I woke up." Toothless rumbled his interjection from the corner, and Hiccup laughed. " _With_ help, of course. This isn't any different. I can go, and I'll be fine."

Astrid put her hands on her hips. "If you think there's any way I'd let you come, Hiccup Haddock, you must've hurt more than your stomach in that fight. You almost died, and you just woke up. Now, you better get back in that bed right now before I _make_ you."

Hiccup raised his brow.

* * *

"Thor, I can't believe I let him come with us," Astrid moaned, eyeing Hiccup and Toothless soaring beside her. "I mean, Hiccup's always been convincing, but not _this_ convincing. He heals fast, sure, and he doesn't look like he's hurting, but… oh, I don't know, Stormfly. I know he wouldn't have given up until he was allowed to come, wouldn't he?" She returned her attention to him.

She had to admit, for being recently injured Hiccup was flying Toothless surprisingly well. It was evident that he was in more pain than he was letting on to, but he didn't make a word of complaint as they flew. He only started to talk once they ducked into the ice caves. "This way, guys," he yelled, before cringing and rubbing his stomach.

"Hiccup?" Astrid called. "Hiccup, what's wrong?"

Hiccup seemed to snap out of his thoughts, blinking slowly. "What?"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm-I'm fine. Just follow me," he said, but she couldn't help but notice how he avoided her gaze as he said it.

The riders maneuvered through the jagged edges of the cave, everyone taking care to avoid bumping into the walls. One slip up and the whole cavern could come crashing down on them. That was a risk they didn't want to take.

"This is it," Hiccup finally announced, turning left on Toothless and leading the other riders through a broken hole in the ice until they came out on the other side, where he'd been before.

He shivered as he looked at the place where he'd fought Johann and Krogan, and remembered how overpowered he'd been and how nervous he was when they both charged at once. He had thought he was going to die.

"This way, Hiccup?" Snotlout called, landing Hookfang on a patch of snow near where the egg first was.

Hiccup nodded silently and dropped down with Toothless as well. The other riders quickly followed.

Hiccup looked over at the blurry tracks in the snow from the day before. As he walked around, he could make out Toothless's prints as the dragon and he had taken off and escaped, but couldn't see the egg anywhere. But that didn't make any sense, he reasoned. If the egg wasn't in Toothless's saddle bag and it wasn't here, then where was it?

"What's going on?" Astrid asked, walking over to him.

Hiccup pinched his brow, a headache starting to throb against his skull. "I don't know - I can't find the egg." He sighed. "Alright, let's all split up and look for it. Maybe it just rolled away-"

"Hiccup, stop." Astrid held up a warning hand.

"But, Astrid, I'm fine. I can help," Hiccup protested.

"Yeah, and we definitely need you straining yourself and bursting your stitches, all for some egg," she argued, and placed a hand on her hip. "Stay here and don't go far. The _others_ and I will go look for the egg - like we first planned to."

Hiccup frowned and gingerly crossed his arms. Just because he was injured didn't mean he was useless, he wanted to say. But as he looked into Astrid's deep, concerned blue eyes, he realized she was right. His stomach was throbbing badly by now and he knew he had already done more than his fair share of searching today. Walking around any more would only make things worse.

"Fine," he agreed, albeit reluctantly. "But let me know as soon as you find anything."

Astrid sighed. "Sure, Hiccup. But just _stay here._ " She looked up and turned to the other riders. "Alright, guys, let's split up and look for the egg! It must've rolled away when Hiccup and Toothless took off, so check everywhere!"

"What does it even look like?" Tuffnut asked, scratching his chin. "I mean, I've seen a chicken egg and I've seen a Deathsong egg, but what does a 'king of dragons' egg look like?"

Astrid stared at him for a long moment. "Like an _egg."_

"Really? It's not, like, invisible or something?"

"No! Of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Have _you_ ever seen a king of dragons egg before, Astrid?" Ruffnut pointed out.

"No, I have not. But I know it's not _invisible!"_ She groaned, pressing a hand to her brow. "Just-just go and look for it. It's an _egg._ It shouldn't be too hard to find." She gave Hiccup a pointed look as she walked over to mount her dragon along with the other riders. "Alright," she said, looking in his direction. "With that taken care of, _you_ are going to stay right here, dragon boy."

"I _know,_ Astrid," he sighed, then his eyes lit up. "But maybe I could just-"

"Hiccup. The answer is _no_. Stay. Here. Where it's safe." She swung herself on top of Stormfly and looked back at him. Her expression softened, and she smirked. "Be careful, okay? I'll come back soon. But if you've gone so much as ten yards away, I swear…"

"Don't worry, I think I get the picture," Hiccup laughed, rubbing his stomach again; the pain was slowly starting to worsen. "Just go. I'll be fine."

Astrid nodded and leaned forward, nudging Stormfly's side. "C'mon, girl." The Nadder squawked and took off, flying around the ice corner until they were out of sight. Once all the other riders had gone as well, Hiccup allowed himself to bend over slightly, clutching his stomach for relief. It was almost like daggers were cutting up his insides, drawing breaths from his throat and making him pant.

Sensing his pain, Toothless turned around to check on him, worried.

Hiccup could see the question resting in the dragon's eyes and smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Toothless. It only hurts some," he said. "But I can't tell anyone yet. We have to find the egg first - then I'll rest."

Toothless snorted, unamused.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, bud. I'm fine, at least for now. And you _know_ we need to find that egg. It's the one thing that could end or start this war and we can't risk it falling into the wrong hands."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized something was very wrong. When he looked over to the side where Johann and Krogan had been frozen, there was something missing. Something bad.

"Toothless," Hiccup said faintly. "Where's Johann?"

Confused, his dragon tensed and looked to where Hiccup was pointing at. Krogan was visibly frozen in place, encased in a thick sheet of ice, but beside him, where Johann had once been, was an empty spot. As Hiccup drew nearer with Toothless, he saw a broken pile of ice on the ground.

Realization crashed down on his shoulders.

"Toothless, he's gone," he whispered, bending over to inspect the ice. Yes, it was clear now that Johann had somehow escaped. He'd broken free from the ice and ran off, but Hiccup couldn't make out any clear footprints in the snow to where he'd gone.

Hiccup motioned Toothless to keep quiet and slowly crept forward, looking around with caution. He didn't know whether Johann was still in the cave or not, but if he was, he was a danger to him and his friends and Hiccup wasn't going to risk their safety.

Just as he was about to make a turn around the corner, a voice far behind him shouted, "We've got something over here! I think it's the egg!"

Hiccup flinched and swerved around, but relaxed when he realized it was only Snotlout.

"Oh, well. I guess Johann must've run off somewhere else," Hiccup mused, walking over to Toothless. "At least he probably doesn't have the egg, right, bud? For now, we'll just have to take care of Johann later..."

He was four feet away from Toothless. The dragon was practically _right there -_ he should've made it. He should've gotten to safety. In his defense, he really hadn't expected anything to happen so quickly... but it did.

One second he was walking towards his dragon in hopes that the other riders had found the egg, the next he was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled back around the ice shelf. Toothless shrieked. His stomach burned like fire. Something cold and sharp pressed against his neck...

A knife.

Dazed, Hiccup vaguely wondered what was going on. His plan was going up in flames.

Like an answer to his to his thoughts, a cool, calm voice spoke from behind him. One that he hoped he'd never hear again. "Wonderful to see you again…" the voice said, and two eyes, both red and pink from the cold, gleamed back at him.

" _Master_ Hiccup…"

* * *

 **:D**

 **Many thanks to reviewers: Grizzly98, katurdi, animalsarepeopletoo, The Wizard Rider, TridentCA, DianaG-J, harrypanther, AnaWinchester-Universe67, The Dreaming Dragon, AlaskanViking (guest), GabrielBR12, Astrid E Lokison, Snowflake (guest), DaisytheDoodleDog, Daystrid Hofferson, Stella (guest), Kethereal, PsychicWonderKitty, BLaiZeRSToRM, Darklightningstorm, and Kas3y! THANK YOU!**


	4. Red Kill

**I'm finally back from being out of town for the last four days! It's midnight here right now and I just got back two hours ago, but I figured I'd better post this before I fell asleep, haha. At least being in the car for the last twelve hours gave me enough time to write this, as well as watching _Supernatural,_ so there's that! :D**

 **Hmm hmm, so this story got a lot longer than I first thought it would, but I think next chapter will be the last. :) Enjoy, and please tell me what you think!**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Red Kill**

If Hiccup had known he was going to wake up that day and sooner or later have a knife at his throat, he would've happily chosen to stay in bed.

But right now, that wasn't an option. He couldn't reverse time and slip out of this mess. He couldn't call to his friends for help, and he couldn't escape the knife at his throat. He was stuck in this execrable situation… alone.

"Johann," he whispered, eyeing the blade at his neck nervously. "But how-"

"You of all people should know, Hiccup, that when you think someone is dead, make sure they are," Johann hissed.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "So, you weren't completely frozen, I guess… you escaped from the ice, left Krogan for dead, and then what? You… you just waited around here, hoping I would come back? How did you know that I even would? Why didn't you just leave?"

"Mind your tone, Hiccup," Johann growled, and the knife dug deeper into Hiccup's skin where it drew the first traces of blood. Hiccup cringed and bit his tongue to hold back a grunt. Johann continued. "Yes, I knew that you'd come back. Because I have something of yours… something that I knew you'd want back."

The chill that ran down Hiccup's spine was not because of the cold. "The king of dragon's egg. But how did—"

"Did you really think I wouldn't take the opportunity when it came along? That I would let you and your riders find the egg first unless I _wanted_ you to?" Johann laughed. "I might have been frozen, but I saw _everything._ While you were busy flying away with your Night Fury, you forgot to do one important thing: close your bag all the way. The egg tumbled right out when you took off and practically fell into my hands."

Hiccup gritted his teeth. "So that's your plan? Take the egg, control the Alpha, and then destroy the archipelago? Because it's not going to work. We already won this war."

"Do you really think I care about any of that anymore?" Johann yelled, and Hiccup had to hold his breath to avoid the blade cutting any deeper into his skin. He was angering Johann, he realized, and that wasn't a good idea on his behalf.

"Then what _do_ you care about?" he asked hoarsely. It didn't make any sense. He first thought all of this was part of Johann's grand "master plan." He thought Johann was only set on conquering the entire archipelago and all the dragons in it. So, why was he turning away from that now? Why leave it all when he could take it?

"Because now I care about getting my revenge," whispered Johann, and for a moment it felt like his words were colder than the ice around them. "…on _you."_

* * *

Astrid had just dropped down on Stormfly to where Hiccup had been seen last, but groaned when she realized he was gone. Typical Hiccup. The moment he was left alone, he would go off and try to save the day, even if he was seriously injured.

"Hiccup!" she called irritably, looking around. "Hey, we found it, Hiccup! We found the egg! It must've rolled away when you and Toothless weren't looking." At no response, she paused. "Hiccup?"

Nothing

Getting slightly worried, she scanned the area again, but there was no sign of Hiccup. There were too many footprints to make out which were his or to give a clue of where'd he gone. She was about to climb back up on Stormfly and do an air-search when suddenly there was a muffled cry from behind her. Spinning around in horror, she saw a familiar-looking man holding Hiccup in a choke-hold, as well as putting a knife to his throat.

Johann.

But how? Hiccup had told her he'd been frozen in mid-stride. It didn't make any sense.

Her thoughts cleared when she saw Johann tighten his grip around Hiccup's neck, shifting the knife in his hands. At Hiccup's struggled breathing, she realized Johann was slowly cutting off his air supply.

He was trying to say something to her, she saw, maybe trying to warn her, but it seemed he couldn't get out any words. Silently, Astrid swore to kill Johan for what he'd done to Hiccup once this was over with.

The other riders had already landed beside her but they looked completely shocked at the sight of Johann and Hiccup in front of them.

"But-but he's supposed to be dead!" she heard Tuffnut say. "Why do all the people we _think_ are dead keep coming back and proving that they're _not_ dead? First Mildew, Dagur, and then Viggo... now Johann. It's getting too confusing!"

"Be quiet," Johann snapped, before he smiled calmly. "Let's all be civil about this, shall we?" He jabbed the knife further into Hiccup's throat. "All I need is everyone to _settle down."_

"Let him go!" Astrid yelled. "Let him go now, or I'll kill you! I swear to Thor, if you touch one hair on his head, no matter where you go or what you do, I will never stop until I track you down and _kill_ you!"

"Tsk, tsk, such a temper. There's no need to be rude, Astrid." Johann raised his brow. "You see, if you try and make a move to attack me, Hiccup, here, will be dead long before you reach me." For effect, he brushed the knife across Hiccup's throat, and a line of blood trickled down his neck. Hiccup's stoic expression wavered.

"Stop it!" Astrid shouted, starting to panic. "You'll kill him!"

"Isn't that the point, Astrid?"

"What do you want with him, Johann?" she growled. "We've all hurt you equally. You've suffered these past years because of _us_ , so take it out on _all_ of us! Leave Hiccup alone!"

"It doesn't look like you're in the position to be asking favors, Astrid," Johann said, then eyed Hiccup before he loosened his grip on his throat. The young man coughed violently, breathing deeply to inhale all the air he'd been deprived of. Johann scowled. "Hiccup's done more than any of you, Astrid. Who led you into your battles? Created those plans to attack my base? Shot at my Flyers and downed nearly a third of them in battle? Who left me for dead in here?"

Astrid gritted her teeth, too angry to respond.

"Don't listen to him," Hiccup rasped, coughing. "He just wants revenge… he's… angry that we won…"

Johann's eyes flashed with annoyance and he pressed the knife more against his neck. "We don't use tones like that around here, now do we, Hiccup?"

In return, Hiccup spat in Johann's face.

Johann's expression darkened, and without a word, he tightened the choke hold around Hiccup's neck. "I tried to be nice, Hiccup, for all those years of friendship's sake. I tried to go easy on you, but you're making it very difficult, and the knife right here might just slip…"

"Johann, stop it!" Astrid demanded, lines wrinkling her forehead with worry. "Don't hurt him… just… _please."_

Johann hesitated for a moment, and then he looked back up at the other riders. His eyes told that he was no longer playing around. "Listen very closely to me, and I might just let Hiccup live. Though, it's not likely he'll be unscathed. I want the egg, the king of dragons, and safe passage out of here, as well as future safety in the archipelago. If there's any bounty on my head, I want it released."

Astrid scoffed. "You know we would never agree to that, Johann. How do we even know you're not lying, or going to go back on your word? Here's an idea: why don't you let Hiccup go right now and then we can talk something out?"

"Well, let's call it… insurance." Johann smiled, and nodded to the struggling Hiccup. "If I didn't have him, I'd have no leverage over you. You'd lock me up for life or kill me – neither of which I'm too eager to experience. But if you agree to my terms, we could end all this right here, right now."

Hiccup looked up at Astrid and met her eyes. He silently shook his head.

Astrid bit her lip. There was no way she wanted to give over the king of dragons or the egg to Johann, but what other choice did she have? This was Hiccup they were talking about. She couldn't lose him… she wouldn't.

Johann smiled. "Tell me, Astrid, though I believe I already know the answer. Are you more afraid of losing the war..."

The knife dug more into Hiccup's flesh.

"Or losing _Hiccup?"_

Astrid's mind raced. Her whole life, she'd been protecting the archipelago from dragons, Hunters, invaders, Alvin, Dagur, Viggo, Krogan, even Johan… and now she was going to be forced to hand it all over to one man who'd destroy it all without a second thought? No, she couldn't do that. But… but what about…

"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup suddenly called over, despite Johann's choke-hold. She looked up at him, and he winked, nodding. "It's alright. I have a plan."

Johann smirked. "And what would that be, _Master_ Hiccup?"

"I don't think I recall talking to you."

Johann's grip on the knife loosened as he leaned forward to talk to Hiccup. "Now, you listen to me for just a minute—"

That was all the time Hiccup needed. Stomping down on Johann's foot with all his might, the older man yelped and jumped back, giving Hiccup the chance to escape. He ducked away from the knife as it came swooshing towards him, backing away towards the cliff instead.

"That," he panted, "was the plan."

Johann quickly regained his footing and, furious, he spun towards Hiccup with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "You shouldn't have done that, boy."

Swallowing, Hiccup wondered if his plan had been such a great idea after all. "Then what should I have done, Johann? Let you kill me? No, you couldn't get rid of me in these past five years, so what makes you think you could get rid of me now?"

Growling, Johann jumped towards Hiccup, knife flashing, and the two began to circle each other. "You took away everything from me!" Johann yelled. "My men, my supplies, my ships, my dignity! And for what? To be defeated by an insignificant little fool like yourself? No, I don't think so. I have something much better planned for you." His eyes flickered. "Because even if I die, Hiccup, I'll still be able to take you down with me. You can count on that!"

Raising his knife behind his back, he prepared to strike.

The other riders began to race forward, slowly starting to realize what was happening. Astrid gasped. "Hiccup, look out!" she called out in warning.

Hiccup only saw Johann coming his way by the time it was too late. Still slow and weak from his stab wound, there was no way he was going to be able to get out of the way in time. So, as Johann ran towards him and Hiccup braced himself for the final strike, a very bad idea entered his mind. A very bad idea, yet… one that was the best out of all his options.

Just as Johann started to plunge the knife towards him, Hiccup grabbed his arm and pulled them both back. Struggling, Hiccup and Johann wrestled for the knife all the while getting closer to the cliff's edge. The more Johann pulled back, the more Hiccup pulled the other way.

They teetered over the edge.

"Hiccup, don't!" Astrid yelled, just as his footing slipped and the ice started to break beneath both his and Johann's feet, for they were too heavy for the edge to support them any longer. With a startled cry from Hiccup, the ground gave way beneath their feet and both men quickly disappeared over the cliff's edge.

The last thing Hiccup could think of as he fell was that Johann had gotten his revenge after all.

* * *

"HICCUP!"

"Is he dead?"

"He-he just went right over that edge! He wanted to go over!"

"HICCUP, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

"He's dead. Oh, gods, he's really dead."

"He's not dead – he can't be…"

The riders and their dragons stood in a heavy silence around the cliff's edge, still in shock over what had just happened. Astrid bent over to look over the edge for Hiccup, unable to believe that he was really gone. Toothless was panicking, whining for his rider and trying to make his way down the cliff but backing away before he could fall.

Astrid couldn't believe it; she was in shock. Hiccup was… gone. For good, this time. There was almost no possibility that he'd survived the fall. He'd sacrificed himself for his friends and the entire archipelago, all because of that… that _traitor._

"Hiccup," she tried again, in one last desperate attempt to see if he was still alive. The echo of her words ringing through the cave back at her was the only response she received. Her breath hitched. "No. Oh, gods, Hiccup. Hiccup, gods, no…" She looked at the place where he'd fallen last, shaking her head in disbelief. "Hiccup. No. You can't… _please._ Gods, no. No… _no…"_

The icy cavern around her remained silent, there no longer a voice left to answer her pleas.

"He's not dead. He can't be," Snotlout finally said, blinking slowly. "Some way or another, he always manages to pull through. It's _Hiccup._ He's never really… gone."

"Yeah," Tuffnut said softly. "He always comes back. Always."

The silence returned, dragging down their hearts and hopes with it.

As Astrid later reflected, one time or another, everyone finds out that they, a friend or family, is not invincible. No one can live forever, and no one can predict when they'll go. Even as eternal someone seems to be, they won't last forever. Someday they'll be gone for good. And when that day comes, the only problem is that no one expects it to come so soon.

For Astrid, it was the worst feeling in the world.

After ten long minutes of standing silently along the cliff's edge, Snotlout finally cleared his throat. "Don't you think we maybe should… you know…"

"No!" Astrid snapped. "We're not leaving him. He's still in there, I-I know it… we just have to keep waiting. We keep waiting, and he'll show up."

"Astrid, you saw them go over, and you know how high that fall was," Fishlegs said gently. "There's… there's just no way he survived…"

Suddenly, Toothless snorted, standing up from the snow with his ears perking up in alert. He looked urgently over the cliff's edge, sniffing the air around him and near the place where Hiccup had fallen. Astrid's heart jumped into her throat and she slowly moved over to the dragon, wide-eyed. "What is it, Toothless? Is it Hiccup? Is he…" She could hardly dare to share her hopes. "Is he…"

Toothless ignored her, continuing to sniff the air. A few seconds later, he froze. Without warning, he took a step back from the icy edge before he leaped off, hurdling downwards through the air, spinning out of control with no one left to fly him.

 _"Toothless!"_ Astrid shouted, horrified at what had just happened. She had just lost Hiccup – now she was going to lose his dragon, too?

She rushed over to the side of the cliff, looking down while preparing herself to see the worst.

Instead, she saw something entirely different.

* * *

 **Shoutouts to amazing reviewers: katurdi, Grizzly98, Snowflake (Guest), AnaWinchester-Universe67, The Wizard Rider, Darklightningstorm, harrypanther, Kas3y, Roxy190, BLaiZeRSToRM, Astrid E Lokison, DaisytheDoodleDog, animalsarepeopletoo, RainDragon28, Guest, flylikeanadder, Scribblefoxx, Stella (Guest), KriliraFrostDragon'68, and The Dreaming Dragon.**


	5. Red Helheim

**FanFiction wasn't working (again) as you guys probably know, so I couldn't post this earlier for y'all. But then I kept on delaying editing and right now I'm running on about an hour and a half of sleep, so it's been a little crazy, haha. Anyways, here it is! The "epic" conclusion. Will Hiccup survive his fate?**

 **I hope you'll enjoy! Apologies if it's rushed, I'M SICK RIGHT NOW.**

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Red Helheim**

To say Astrid had been surprised when she saw Toothless hovering calmly in the air thirty feet below her would've been an understatement.

She was in _shock._

The dragon had been diving down. _Intentionally_ diving down, no way of stopping his descent. It had looked like he was planning a suicide attempt of his own. But now, quite shockingly, she saw the reason why he'd jumped. What he'd sensed when he'd leaped off the cliff. How he was floating in mid-air by himself and flying back up.

Hiccup.

Astrid felt faint.

He'd fallen off a cliff, for Thor's sake. They'd called for him until their throats grew hoarse with still no response. The length he'd fallen, the way Johann had dragged Hiccup down through the air with him…

She was hallucinating.

The other riders were equally surprised when Toothless clawed his way up the rest of the cliff with Hiccup weakly holding onto his side, bloody and bruised, but… clearly there. But how?

Astrid blinked, and whispered, "Hiccup?"

From Toothless's back, Hiccup looked over at her, face marred with scratches and bloody cuts, and the faintest smile curved at the edge of his lip. "Hey, Astrid."

"But you were… you were -" Tuffnut stumbled for an explanation. " _Dead!"_

Hiccup averted his eyes, almost as if a painful memory was coming up. "No, I… I wasn't. I was just… just..." His sentence broke off, and he didn't continue.

Without hesitation, Astrid stepped forward and pulled Hiccup into a hug. He was trembling, she realized, and angrily she vowed that she'd kill Johann if he weren't already dead.

Soon after, the other riders joined in.

No words were needed as the group huddled together. Nothing else was required but each other. In a moment of peaceful silence and shock, they had all that they ever wanted and needed: Hiccup.

Once satisfied Hiccup wouldn't disappear on her again, Astrid pulled away. She punched him in the arm. "Don't you do that ever again!" she yelled, eyes burning. "I thought you were dead, for good this time! I-I thought Johann had killed you… that you'd killed yourself trying!"

Hiccup remained silent.

"Next time, before you jump off a cliff, _let the others know about it!"_ Astrid's tone was deadly. "Tell us that you're not going to die. That you're not going to make _another_ suicide attempt for someone as low as Johann! Do you realize how much you scared us? How you scared me? Why didn't you answer us when we were calling for you? _What happened to you?_ How are you even… alive?" Astrid's voice dropped

Hiccup whispered, "I know… I thought I was going to die, too. I was falling, and that was it. The end." He closed his eyes. "It was one of the worst things I've ever gone through. I couldn't stop it, Astrid. I was going to die, and I couldn't stop it."

Astrid looked at him with worried eyes. "Hiccup…"

"I heard Johann scream as he fell into that dragon's mouth," Hiccup continued, albeit still shaky with his near-death experience. "I thought, 'That's going to be next. I'm going to be eaten alive.' But instead… I landed on something. At first, I thought I hit the bottom, but it was only a ledge, thank the gods. I… don't remember anything else after that. Just pain." He looked at the ground. "That's the last thing I remember before Toothless came…. he was right there, waking me up." Hiccup smiled faintly, patting the dragon on the head. "You never fail to amaze me, you know that, bud?"

Toothless snorted, giving his rider an affectionate crooked smile.

"Well, I, for one, never thought he was dead," Snotlout boasted. "It's like I said before. You're Hiccup. You practically repel death."

Ruffnut eyed him. "I seem to remember a certain _Jorgenson_ saying that Hiccup, quote-unquote, was 'gone for good' and we should 'leave him'. Am I right, Mr. Thorston?"

"You are correct, Ms. Thorston," Tuffnut mused.

Astrid looked at Hiccup again, and once more couldn't believe her eyes that he was there. Alive. Breathing. Green eyes still glowing with life. It was still such a shock, but a miracle, too.

A wobbly Hiccup stepped down from Toothless's saddle and grimaced when his stomach flared up in pain. Astrid reminded herself of his stab wound and grew concerned for his state of health. But as she looked even closer, she could see bruises throbbing all around his face as well as still bleeding cuts. When had those come?

Worried, she cupped a hand around his chin. "What happened to you, Hiccup?"

"Johann happened," Hiccup said wearily, pulling away. He shook his head and tried to fight off the pain that was growing inside him. The impact of falling against the ice ledge was catching up to him, fast, and he wasn't eager to reach the end results. Especially when he knew his stab wound was worsening. "Alright. We can talk more about this later. Let's get out of this cave before it collapses on us, and then we get out of here and head back to Berk."

Astrid gave him a black look. "What about all those injuries, Hiccup? You're not leaving without a look from the healer."

Hiccup started to protest.

Astrid held up a hand, cutting him off. " _No,_ Hiccup. We… we thought you were dead, okay? _You almost died._ As much as you try to hide it, I can see you're hurting!"

A blink. "I'm fine, Astrid. I just want to get out of here… come on, let's talk about this somewhere else… like, say, Berk!"

"Hiccup…"

Toothless rumbled, interrupting their altercation. He nudged Hiccup's leg, and startled, Hiccup jumped back.

"Toothless, stop it," he protested as his dragon continued to nip at him. "What's gotten into you? Bud - what are you… cut it out... _hey!"_

Another minute and Astrid was officially alarmed. "What's wrong, Toothless?" She wasn't one to take the Night Fury's banter lightly, especially where Hiccup was concerned.

Toothless pawed the ground impatiently and nodded his head towards Hiccup, who was practically swaying on his feet.

Concerned, Astrid looked at him. "Hiccup, what's..." With a pause, she studied him for a long moment. The grayish skin. The dark circles under his eyes. The glassy, unfocused look. Hands pressing against his stomach in obvious pain. All the signs were there… so how had she missed it?

She pressed her palm against his forehead, and her eyes widened at the heat that radiated off the skin. "Hiccup, you're burning up!"

Hiccup knew that Toothless had done it for him, but his timing couldn't have been any worse. "I don't feel that great," he finally said with a wince. "I-I think it was the fall - it hurt my stomach a little. Otherwise, I'm good… just need to rest up _._ "

"Let me see it," Astrid insisted, ignoring his litany of protests, and rolled up the bottom of his shirt. A sharp gasp before limp hands fell to her side. "Oh, my gods. Hiccup."

The once sewed-up hole had been ripped from its stitches and, as result, the skin was now gaping open where the flesh refused to hold. Blood coated the pale skin and shirt, and it was now spreading like a red flower.

Astrid took a horrified step back, fearful for Hiccup's life. "Hiccup… why didn't you say anything?"

"I was a little held up with falling off a cliff."

Astrid looked up at him with wide eyes. Had she really just got Hiccup back only to lose him again? "We have to get you help. We have to get you out of here… guys, help me get him up on Toothless! Hurry, he needs help!"

Anxiously, the riders gathered around Hiccup, and Fishlegs took him by the arm, tugging him over to his dragon. "Come on, Hiccup… step here, here, there… you're going to be fine."

"I'm already fine," said Hiccup, but his words were beginning to slur. He cast Astrid a confused look. "Please. Why are you even… I'm-I'm fine… just let me go… I can do it myself, okay?" He pulled himself free from Fishlegs and rubbed his stomach again. "It's fine. I'm fine."

He lifted his hand back up for him to see, then his expression changed from annoyed to concerned, relaxed to worried.

His palm was stained red.

"Oh," he said quietly.

At that moment, the pain finally caught up with him. He cringed and drew back, squeezing his eyes shut when he started to feel dizzy. He heard Astrid's concerned voice asking if he was all right, and briefly, Hiccup nodded, but he couldn't have spoken if his life depended on it. The world grew distant, and for a time he didn't know where he was.

A cold sensation was laid on his forehead and he jolted from the shock of it. He opened his eyes and saw Astrid bending over him, blue eyes shining with worry as she pressed a handful of snow to his forehead. Toothless was leaning in close, as were the other riders, and Hiccup realized that he was lying down in the snow and his head was cradled in Astrid's lap.

"What happened?" he croaked.

"You fainted. How do you feel?"

Hiccup blinked. "Fi-"

"If you say 'fine' one more time, I will punch you in the shoulder."

He leaned back with a heavy sigh. "Alright. I'm tired, I guess. I think my stomach's worse."

She glanced at him, eyes tight and worried. "That just proves it - you're hurt, Hiccup, and whether you like it or not, you have to slow down. We're getting you help… just stay with us until you're treated, alright?"

Stay with them? Where else was there to go?

Feeling suddenly tired, Hiccup closed his eyes again. He just needed a little rest, that was all. He'd be better in the morning.

"No, no, no, no, stay awake, Hiccup, stay awake," Astrid pleaded, but in the midst of the blackness around him he couldn't oblige. The pain was worsening and he just wanted a break.

"Hiccup!" someone called, and fleetingly Hiccup thought twice about leaving them behind.

But then the voices shouting for him silenced and the pain washed away. A light grew in the distance, warming everything around him. Hiccup smiled, and a part of him wished that he could stay like this forever. No pain, no worries, just peace.

But the thought of his friends and family in the real world snapped him back to attention. What was he thinking? He couldn't give up on them yet. He had to keep fighting. What kind of person would he be if he didn't even try?

The world slowly slipped away, a reddish tinge clinging to the blackness around him.

But Hiccup, though hanging loosely at the last strings of life he had, remained.

* * *

 _Hot._

White-hot pain everywhere.

Hiccup thrashed and grunted and fought for release, but none came. Hands steadied him. His stomach felt wet and stung with a vengeance. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks and the world took around him took on a nightmarish tinge.

 _Leave._

 _Stay._

 _Leave._

 _ **Stay.**_

Not knowing what was going on, he drifted off again.

* * *

His eyes flickered open and he immediately saw the sky above him. The sun was extra bright, the sky a beautiful blue. He blinked, studying it before his thoughts settled. The clouds were extra large today and the air was sweet and warm. It was the perfect weather for flying. Time to get up.

"Toothless," he called, and was alarmed to find his voice so weak. "Toothless, we have to go, bud. Hmm… yeah, a quick flight before training..."

Everything felt sluggish as if he were still asleep. Arms were wrapped around his shoulders and he saw blonde hair swaying behind him in motion with the dizzying world. But that didn't make any sense. Toothless was a black dragon, not a blonde.

"Hang on, Hiccup," the person holding him said. "We're almost there. We're almost home."

Home? What home? For the life of him, he couldn't remember.

"Toothless," he said sleepily, clinging to the one memory he knew was real. "I want Toothless."

"I know, Hiccup. He's right here, don't worry, and I'm here, too… it's Astrid… we're almost to Berk, hang on."

Astrid. Toothless. Berk. Huh. That sounded familiar.

"Hiccup, hold on… _hold on…"_

Hiccup winced at the dripping desperation in the voice but wasn't sure what to hold onto. What did she mean?

Shivering, he fell back into a feverish slumber.

* * *

A blood-curdling scream came tearing out of someone's throat.

"No, stop! Please! No, no, get it away… get it away!"

Hiccup frowned. Who was making all that noise, and what was going on? Was someone hurt?

"Hiccup, hold still!" someone shouted. His eyes peeked open and he saw a large man with an even larger beard holding him back against the bed. So consumed in his raging fever, Hiccup didn't recognize him.

"Stop! _Please…"_

The brokenness of the voice was what hit him the most. How could one person be in so much agony? His heart ached for the man in pain. He hated to see anyone in distress, even more so to hear it.

" _No… no! Stop!"_

As the words were formed, Hiccup realized that his own lips were moving perfectly along with it. He no longer had any control of his limbs, either. Realization thumped him over the head. It was his _own_ voice he was hearing. His _own_ limbs that were flailing about. _He_ was the one in agony.

"No-o-o!"

The world went black as something sharp cut into his stomach. For the third time, he slipped back into blessed unconsciousness.

* * *

The next sensation he felt was peace.

It was safe, it was warm, and it felt like home. All the pain and suffering was lifted from his shoulders and he relished in the richness of it. It was dark out, but he still could see the light ahead. He was by himself, but he didn't feel alone.

" _Hiccup."_

Fingers brushed across the creases of his forehead, much more gentle than anything he'd felt before.

"Come back to us. Please."

And Hiccup opened his eyes.

* * *

"I'm not sure where all these injuries are coming from lately, son," Stoick laughed, rubbing his temple with a confused frown. "I thought one Haddock down was enough. But you were determined to win the day, eh?"

Hiccup lay in bed - his _own_ bed -, leaning against a pile of pillows. His stomach was wrapped in bandages, from both the stab wound and the broken ribs he'd suffered from when he'd fallen off the cliff. He looked pale and much too thin, but his skin had regained some color and was no longer the sickly gray it'd been.

It had been a little more than two weeks since they had brought him back home, stitched up and covered in blood. He had little recollection of the first few days after his collapse. Apparently, he'd had an infection, but once it was more manageable, Gordon had said that the best medicine was for him to return home. No time to spare, the king of dragons' egg was quickly given over to the Wingmaidens who had promised to keep it safe, and the riders retreated back to Berk where Stoick was just getting back up on his feet.

The Chief was horrified at the extent of his son's injuries, but Gothi had quickly patched Hiccup back up the best she could. He'd slept on for four days after that, feverish and thrashing in bed, but soon woke in a drenching sweat as his fever broke. He'd opened his eyes, only to stare into the caring gaze of his father and friends.

Returning to the present, Hiccup laughed. "It wasn't so bad this time. At least I didn't lose a leg," he joked, albeit weakly. He was already starting to feel drained after their short interaction.

Stoick immediately snapped to attention. "Hiccup? Are you hurting again? Do you need some more medicine?"

Hiccup shook his head, not eager to re-try the ill-tasting liquid. He'd nearly been sick the first time he'd taken it and wouldn't take it again unless it was absolutely necessary. "No. Just tired."

Stoick nodded, standing up from his chair. He smiled at his son as he turned to leave the room, his concerned eyes telling all that needed to be said. "I'll be right outside if you need anything, Hiccup. Don't be afraid to call, alright?"

A yawn. "Yeah, Dad, I know. Thanks."

"Good, good. Have a nice rest, son." Closing the door behind him, Stoick left the room.

Hiccup slept peacefully, content that he was home.

* * *

The next time he woke, it was Astrid who was beside him. He blinked, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his groggy state and disheveled appearance. Thankfully, Astrid didn't seem to mind, only looking relieved when he showed signs of waking.

"Finally. I was starting to think you'd sleep forever."

Hiccup yawned, rubbing his eyes. "How long was I out?"

"Eighteen hours, give or take."

Hiccup whistled. "That's a long time."

"Yeah, well, you needed it. Anyway, Stoick was starting to worry."

"When is he not?"

Astrid smirked. "He's your father, Hiccup. It's his job to worry." Returning to seriousness, she furrowed her brow. "How are you feeling? Does your stomach still hurt?"

Hiccup shrugged, pulling himself up in bed with a wince. "Just a little sore."

"Uh huh. And I'm sure those broken ribs, bruised face, and injured back are one hundred percent too?"

Hiccup laughed lightly. "Of course."

Softening, Astrid scooted her chair forward and took her hand in his, gripping it as if she was making sure he was still there and alive. "I'm so glad you're okay, Hiccup. You almost died… I don't even know how many times…"

Hiccup nodded. "Kind of hard to forget, seeing how I was there."

"Hiccup, you were stabbed." There was no humor left in her expression. "You went into shock. You were captured by Johann and fell off a cliff. Then, you miraculously survived that by getting yourself more injured in the process… and got an infection that almost killed you." She sighed, rubbing a hand down her face. "What am I going to do with you, Hiccup Haddock?"

"Trade me for someone who doesn't get hurt as much?"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Based on your sense of humor this evening, I'd guess you're feeling better."

"I guess I heal fast." Hiccup then frowned. "Wait. Evening? It's evening already?"

"Yeah. Like I said before, you were out for a long time."

Hiccup pushed himself up in bed, and Astrid quickly grabbed shoulder to stop him. "Woah, woah, woah, take it easy, Hiccup," she soothed. "You're not getting out of this bed until Gothi says it's okay."

Hiccup shook his head. "Just wanted to see the sunset. Haven't been outside in two weeks."

"And whose fault is that? You were the one who got yourself stabbed in the first place."

Hiccup gave her a black look, then asked, "Where's Toothless?" It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't seen his dragon for the past few days, and panic started to rise in him. "Is he alright? Did something happen?"

"Slow down… yes, Toothless is fine," assured Astrid. "I've been keeping him with Stormfly at my place until you woke up. Stoick didn't want him disturbing you while you slept. Said you needed your rest."

Relieved that his dragon was safe, he nodded. "Sounds like my dad." Hiccup yawned, sinking back into his pillows. "Huh. Guess I'm more tired than I thought. Being stabbed really takes it out of you."

"I can imagine." Smiling, Astrid stood up. "Well, I've kept you up for longer than I should've. I'll let you sleep now." She paused. "Do you need anything? Something to eat? Drink? It's been a few days since you last had anything, you know, and you're thin enough as it is..."

"I'll have something later. Just want to sleep right now." He offered a weak smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine." And this time, he wasn't lying. The pain in his stomach had dimmed to a dull ache and his broken ribs were easy to forget. With a few more days of bed rest, he'd be back on his feet and riding Toothless in no time.

"Goodnight, Hiccup," Astrid whispered as she started to leave the room, casting one last glance at him before the door closed behind her.

Hiccup's eyelids drooped the moment she was gone as unconsciousness claimed him, but this time, it was a healing sleep. The worry lines on his brow faded, and he finally allowed himself to relax.

Despite all the strain from the last few months, he had a spark of hope that from this point forward, it would all slowly get better for both him and Berk. Physically and emotionally.

But for now, he was content to sink back into the pillows and sleep. He was home, he was safe, and it felt good.

* * *

 **THANK YOU TO YOU AMAZING REVIEWERS: katurdi, harrypanther, tom80 (Guest), The Wizard Rider, Roxy190, AnaWinchester-Universe67, TridentCA, RainDragon28, aaquater, Grizzly98, SweetWritingIsMyLife, Astrid E Lokison,** **Warr10r 0f 7h3 L16h7, DaisytheDoodleDog, Guest, The Dreaming Dragon, Stella (Guest), BLaiZeRSToRM, NightFuryTL, SweentheSaltine, animalsarepeopletoo, and Plasma Snow! I really enjoyed this fic with you guys, and I hope you did too! Your reviews are cherished!**

 **See you at the next what-if! Which, in short, will be a what-if for** _ **Darkest Night,**_ **where Hiccup was the one to be injured instead of Stoick. *grins* I should be posting it within the next week or so, and if you're interested, come on and check it out!**

 **Happy reading!**

 **-thepurplewriter333**


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